The Israel Defense Forces says it has killed two Palestinian militant commanders whom it accuses of entering Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack and subsequently planning further attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.
The men were identified by the IDF as Muhammad Jamal Mahmoud Abu Al-Shaar, described as a cell commander in Hamas’ military wing, and Musab Abd al-Jalil Saqib Balbisi, whom the military identified as a commander in Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s military wing.
IDF Says Both Men Entered Israel on October 7
According to information released by the Israeli military, both Abu Al-Shaar and Balbisi participated in the October 7 attack by infiltrating Israeli territory.
The IDF provided additional detail about Abu Al-Shaar, alleging that he entered Kibbutz Be’eri during the assault. The community was among the Israeli locations heavily affected by the Hamas-led attacks that day.
The military’s accompanying graphic states that Balbisi also infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 attack, although it does not specify a particular community or location he allegedly entered.
Abu Al-Shaar Accused of Role in Kidnapping Six Israelis
Israel also linked Abu Al-Shaar to the abduction of six people who were taken into Gaza during the October 7 assault.
According to the IDF, he participated in the kidnapping of Sharon Hertzman-Avigdori, Noam Avigdori, Adi Shoham, Nave Shoham, Yahel Shoham and Shoshan Haran.
The Israeli military presented the alleged involvement in the abductions as part of its case against the Hamas commander.
The statement and accompanying graphic do not provide additional evidence detailing Abu Al-Shaar’s individual actions during the kidnappings.
Israel Identifies Balbisi as Islamic Jihad Commander
Balbisi, meanwhile, was described by the IDF as a commander in the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Israeli military said he crossed into Israeli territory during the October 7 attack and subsequently remained involved in militant activity.
Unlike its description of Abu Al-Shaar, the IDF announcement did not link Balbisi to a specific kidnapping or identify the precise location where it says he entered Israel.
IDF Accuses Pair of Planning New Attacks During Ceasefire
The Israeli military said its decision to target the two men was also based on what it described as more recent activities.
According to the IDF, Abu Al-Shaar and Balbisi had been advancing plans for attacks against Israeli civilians and Israeli troops.
Israel characterized those alleged activities as systematic violations of the ceasefire.
The military did not provide detailed information in the statement about the specific attacks it says the two commanders were preparing or when those alleged plans were expected to be carried out.
Israel Says Operations Were Intended to Remove Threat
The IDF said both men were killed because of the threat it assessed they continued to pose.
Its announcement forms part of a series of recent Israeli statements identifying Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures killed in military operations and accusing them of attempting to conduct attacks or rebuild militant capabilities despite the ceasefire.
The IDF graphic accompanying the announcement displayed photographs of both men alongside summaries of Israel’s allegations against them.
There was no independent evidence included in the material provided that establishes all of the IDF’s claims concerning their activities, and the statement did not include a response from Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad to the allegations.
Ceasefire Faces Continued Strain
The killings come amid continuing accusations surrounding violations of the ceasefire, with Israel maintaining that it retains the right to act against individuals it considers an active security threat.
Israel says the recent activities attributed to Abu Al-Shaar and Balbisi crossed that threshold, citing their alleged involvement in planning attacks against troops and civilians.
The deaths of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders add another point of tension to an already fragile ceasefire, as Israeli forces continue operations against individuals they accuse of participating in the October 7 attack or preparing further violence.
